How To Do Little Things That Improve Your Mental Health

Last week, we posed a question on social media and in our weekly newsletter.

The question was simple: What’s the most powerful thing you’ve learned about improving your mental health?

Your responses were fascinating and served as a reminder that sometimes the most powerful things are also the simplest.

Here are some that stood out to us. (Note that some were edited for grammar or clarity.)

Start every day with something that makes me laugh!

Slow progress is still progress.

Everything is temporary. Both happiness and, more importantly, pain.

If I keep replaying things over and over, I need to talk it out with someone.

So far you’ve survived 100% of your worst days. You’re doing great!

Say it out loud. Sometimes just putting it out into the world helps you find a jumping off point to tackle the overwhelming.

Set hard boundaries.

In order to help others around me, I had to look after myself first. And in starting to do self-care to improve my mental health, I am beginning to learn more about myself which helps.

Surrounding myself in reminders of the good things in my life.

Exercise really does make you happy!

There’s too many to name just one, but finding ways to put yourself first.

I come first. If I am not going to take care of myself, no one will. Also, how am I suppose to support others if I am not ok?

Realizing it’s not about being the person you used to be, but instead becoming the person you want to be.

When in doubt, talk to someone.

All the power is inside of you.

You aren’t your thoughts. You are enough regardless of what your thoughts about yourself may be.

Just because you have a thought, doesn’t make it true. So, why not just choose another?

I always try to remember that the things that frustrate me are really trying to teach me something.

That I’m not actually as stuck as I feel sometimes.

Learning about how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) impacts the developing brain and body; and how “trauma informed care” can help. Knowing this science gave me more empathy for myself, and to see past the shame and seek medical help, including mindfulness training and psychotherapy.

I am not alone and when I share my thoughts with others it reinforces this!

Doing things that I want to do, not things that people around me want me to do.

Journalling allows you to transfer the weight of your thoughts onto paper and alleviate the stress.

And last, but certainly not least, this: “Improvement is a marathon, not a sprint.”

Thank you to everyone who shared! For those of you that haven’t yet, we’d love to hear your response. Click here to share and we’ll curate the responses to update this post periodically.